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Preserving Your Prom Flowers
By Wesley Berry
For many young people, prom is the crowning event of their teenage years. Everything about the night is magical and they want to hang on to those memories. One of the most special parts of the evening is the gorgeous corsage her date chose with her and her lovely gown in mind. Those memories are meant to last, and you can help by preserving or drying her corsage so that it's almost as lovely as the day she received it.
Among the most popular, tried, and true methods of preserving flowers is pressing them. This is an easy and effective method if you wish to place the flowers in a frame or scrapbook. To press flowers, you'll need:
* Two pieces of corrugated cardboard.
* Several sheets of newspaper or white paper towels.
* A flat board.
* A heavy weight (bricks work nicely).
Once you've gathered the necessary materials, follow these easy steps:
1. Place one sheet of cardboard on your work surface.
2. Lay several sheets of newspaper on top of the cardboard.
3. Arrange the flowers on top of the newspaper.
4. Place several more sheets of newspaper over the flowers.
5. Set the cardboard on top of the newspaper.
6. Place the board on top of the newspaper.
7. Put the weight on top of the board.
Place the flower press in a warm dry room and allow two to three weeks. Check the flowers every two to three days and change the papers to prevent molding and help the flowers to dry more quickly.
Pressing works very well if you wish to yield one-dimensional flowers in the end. However, if you'd like your flowers to retain their shape, you'll need to try another method, such as simple air-drying. To air dry your flowers:
1. Secure the corsage to a hanger or hook so that it can hang loosely upside down.
2. Hang the flowers in a warm, dark, dry room.
3. Allow one to three weeks for complete drying.
These two methods are the most commonly used at-home methods for preserving flowers, but there are several more. Other methods include chemical drying, preserving with glycerin, sand drying, and preserving with shellac. Some methods are certainly more difficult and costly than others, so you should do your research before embarking on this task. Ask your florist if he or she has any other ideas, tips, or services for flower preservation. With a little time and effort, you can keep prom memories fresh forever.
About the Author
Wesley Berry is the President of Wesley Berry Flowers, a successful multi-million dollar business that was established in 1946. He is also the Headmaster of the Professional Florists' Institute, a floral design school located in Michigan. Visit Wesley Berry Flowers on the web at http://www.800wesleys.com
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| Some other articles by Wesley Berry | |
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